DESPITE the encouraging vaccination drive to alleviate the effects of COVID-19, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has announced that public schools will remain physically closed for the month of May. This is with the exception of those schools with Grades 10, 11 and 12, where students have been in attendance since November last. Students who remain at home will continue to be taught virtually. This was announced on Thursday by Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, in a video message post on the various social media pages of the Ministry of Education.
“We have been advised at this point that given the numbers of both COVID infections as well as the rate of the vaccination process that we will stay closed [for the month of May] except for the classrooms that have already been reopened and have already returned to schools. At the end of May I’m going to let you know what we are going to do in June,” the minister said.
Schools in Guyana have been physically closed since March, 2020.

According to Manickchand, the decision for schools to remain closed came following a meeting of Cabinet on Thursday, where Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, would’ve spoken on the risk factors, and Guyana’s growing COVID-19 situation. April 2021 has been one of the deadliest months on record, since Guyana recorded its first case of COVID-19 in March, 2020. As at Wednesday, some 60 deaths have been recorded for April alone, with a total of 293 deaths. To counter the rising spread of the virus, the government has been actively promoting vaccination against the virus, with over 128,000 persons being vaccinated so far. During her video message, Manickchand took the opportunity to implore teachers and parents to go out and get vaccinated against COVID-19.“I encourage persons particularly teachers and parents to go out and take the vaccine,” Manickchand appealed.
In Guyana, the COVID-19 vaccine is being administered free and is available to everyone 18 years and over. However, inoculation is voluntary. The government is hopeful of having enough persons vaccinated soon in order to achieve “herd immunity”.

“While we are very pleased that some persons have come out to be vaccinated and that the programme has been smooth in terms of its administration, we are concerned about the sloth of some communities and regions, as well as some interest groups,” Manickchand related.
Manickchand herself has already been vaccinated, and notes that it is one means of fast-tracking the reopening of schools in Guyana, and returning ‘normalcy’ to the world.
“If you have an interest in making sure our schools open then you have to have an interest in making sure that as many people as you can take the vaccine, because that’s the only way we’re going to change the picture of COVID. If you want to see the students back in school then you have to take the vaccine as parents,” Manickchand posited.